Change
by JstDani
Summary: Can we really change our future? Or is it set in stone? Can we change it for the people we love?


CHANGE

A shadow extracted himself from the dark alley, taking with him a part of the misery most people found there. It was as if the loneliness and desperation that drove many from the alley had actually attracted the man there. He just smiled bitterly and walked out into the busy New York street.

The sounds, smells and sights surrounded him in a familiar embrace, this was the New York he knew, the New York he had discovered himself in, in so many ways. Not that New York in fifty years time was all that different. The eternal dance of pushing and pulsing bodies, the shrieking traffic filled with impatient commuters, the mixture of work, poverty and smoke filled the air, it all still remained the same, yet it was still… changed. Like this was his childhood home and the future was the newly decorated version, a version that wasn't all to his taste.

"Sylar?" a shocked voice pulled him out of hie reverie.

Standing before him was Maya, her chocolate eyes staring at him in a mixture of fear, horror and… determination. Slowly they changed from warm chocolate to black. Sylar just smiled and waited for her to realise that nothing was happening to him. She staggered back in shock, her mind was screaming at her to run.

_What's happening? Why isn't it working? He's done something, run Maya, move, GET AWAY FROM HIM!!_

Sylar's bitter smile widened, she sounded terrified.

"Don't worry Maya, I'm not here for you" he said simply and disappeared, to go find the girl he had come for.

He hadn't been called _Sylar _in such a long time, he hadn't been Sylar for such a long time. For fifty years he had made himself Gabriel. He had suppressed his hunger, for a long time it had been a struggle to be around anyone with an ability, he had barley been able to control himself, only the beseeching green eyes had stayed his hand. The day those eyes had stopped looking at him was when he had made himself Sylar again, the hunger driving him in two directions, to those who had escaped him and to those eyes. Luckily for him they brought him to the same place.

He appeared opposite the white mansion and waited.

He only had to wait an hour before he got what he had been waiting for. Along the opposite footpath, smiling and tossing her golden curls Claire Bennet walked with Peter, laughing like nothing in the world could touch her, or so she thought.

Sylar smiled, then disappeared.

He appeared outside the Bennet house in Costa Verda, it was night time now, late by the look of the house, only one light remained on. He walked around the side of the house to the back, watching the light, and the figure in the window.

Claire was brushing her hair, getting ready to go to sleep. She was thinking about her mother, her biological mother and how her "actual" mother was handling having her in the house. She switched her light off and slipped into bed. Sylar waited till he was sure she was asleep then slid the window open and flew into her room.

Then spent the rest of the night watching the woman he loved.

Only when the sun had started to crest the horizon did Sylar pull himself out of his trance. With one last gentle caress of her face he flew out of her window, content to spend the rest of the day watching her.

She had slept badly last night, having a nightmare. He was sure it was about him. She had started moaning for him to go away halfway through the night. Silent tears streaming down her face. He had tried to soothe her the only way he could, gently removing the diamonds from her eyes. She had calmed at the touch, smiling slightly.

When darkness set again Sylar looked at her one last time then disappeared once more.

It was close to midday when he appeared in the cell, not that you could tell. The grey walls were covered in darkness, the still form on the cot sleeping deeply. Sylar didn't have much time, soon Noah Bennett would be striding into the cell block with Angela Petrelli, preparing for the hunt of the Level 5 escapees. He moved to the sleeping form and stared down at himself.

The sleeping figure smiled slightly then sent his onlooker sprawling against the wall. Sylar slowed his plunge against the wall, keeping his footing and turned off the other Sylar's abilities. He bolted up from his cot and stared at him in shock. Then a crooked smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"The Haitian?" he asked curiously, his eyes sparkling in anticipation.

Future Sylar just nodded, his mouth cast in a frown. He stared at his past self with a mixture of loathing and jealousy. His future with Claire was still to come, unless he could change that.

"Hiro Nakamura as well by the looks of it", he sounded pleased with his future conquests, even though he was meant to be turning over a new leaf.

"I did what I had to too get myself here" he replied simply.

"Which is why?"

"I came to warn you not to fall in love with Claire Bennett" he replied, his voice catching slightly on her name.

His past stared at him with a mixture of horror and shock, his mouth hanging slightly open, speechless.

When he finally found his voice he asked incredulous, "What?" staring at his future as if he were mad. If only he knew how close to madness his future would take him.

"You will feel her pain, when you save her life, it will torture you, you won't realise that being near Peter will make you slightly more empathetic to her pain. You'll beg for her forgiveness eventually and eventually she'll grant it to you. You'll love her, you'll change for her, you'll be with her, then you'll loose her, and it will be your fault." He paused for a moment, the pain of the past washing over him, after he had caught his breath he continued, "you can't fall in love with her, loving her will kill her."

The other Sylar remained staring at his future, shock and disgust plain on his face.

Future Sylar kept his gaze steady, listening to his past thoughts running in circles, trying to decide whether this was a trick, or if he was insane. He was leaning towards the later.

His future self smiled slightly and stepped towards his old self, hand raised. He stepped away weary, trying to throw him into the wall again.

Future Sylar broadened his smile slightly and took another step towards himself, "I'm going to prove it to you" and with that he touched his past to change his future.

His past was bombarded with images, blurry and disorganised but as he got accustomed to receiving them he started to make out the pictures, and feel the love attached to them.

_Claire was looking down at him in disgust, her eyes narrowed threateningly, like the cheerleader could do him any harm. But she could, he was pleading with her to forgive him, her cold rejection cutting at him._

_He was with Claire again, her eyes sad now, looking at him in pity. She touched his arm gently and he felt his body thrill to the touch. She was forgiving him, she was leaning into him! Her head was resting on his shoulder, snuggling into him now. He bent his head to hers slightly, ready for her cutting rejection. It didn't come, he passed his lips gently over hers, he could feel the smile on her mouth._

_He was lying down now, a warm pressure was on his chest. He ran his hand gently up Claire's back, then down again, slowly caressing her. Her warm breath was tickling his chest, but he wouldn't have moved for anything. He knew she was awake, but neither of them spoke, comfortable in silence. He got the impression that this was a reoccurring memory, multi-layered with the same scene repeated. Every moment felt memorable._

_It was the same scene. Except it was daylight now. Claire was asleep in his arms, snuggling closer to him every so often. He looked down at her, her golden locks splayed across his chest. Suddenly an overwhelming feeling consumed him. He gasped in surprise, but no sound left his lips, he had actually gasped, not his future. His future was completely content, filled with a fierce protectiveness, gentleness, adoration and calm. He loved Claire, completely. Looking at her through his future eyes, he loved her too._

_They were walking down the street, it was late at night but they walked slowly, not a care in the world. They were unchanged yet time had passed, not a significant amount to immortals, but enough for him to notice. There were newer buildings, clothes crisper in fashion, there was an eerie quietness that was in the city; people were more cautious now. Claire rested her head on his shoulder, playing wit his hand. She whispered something, most people wouldn't have been able to hear it, but his extra sense allowed him too. He stopped her, bent down and whispered in her ear "I love you too."_

_The next scene was so brutally contrasted to the last one that Sylar didn't understand what was going on immediately. Compared to the last image of love and peace, this one was vicious and violent. Sylar was covered in blood, he was holding a man against the wall, covered in blood as well, his own. He had an ability, a secret that he needed to know. Sylar could feel the hunger rising in him, compelling him to take it, have it for himself, find out how he works. He lifted his finger when the door burst open, Claire was running towards him, yelling at him to look at her, to stop. He couldn't, not now, both of him selves new that. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to look at her. Her beautiful green eyes swimming with the beginnings of tears, begging him to stop, to let her stop him._

_He put his arm down, releasing the man. He looked at him once terrified, then ran out of there, flashing past barely visible._

_He was breathing hard while he stumbled to the wall and dropped down. Putting his head in his hands he felt a gentle caress, Claire covered his hand with her own. She was bending down in front of him, her eyes softer now, full of love and understanding. This memory was alone, there were no reoccurring overtones, he couldn't bare to have her look at him like that again. The innocent cheerleader understanding the mind of a murderer._

_He roughly pulled her into a tight embrace and cried in her arms._

_They were running, but they couldn't out run what came for them now. He was to fast, Sylar tried to throw him again but he slipped around him. He was _too_ fast. Claire was looking around panicked, her eyes continuously searching for his, searching for reassurance. He couldn't give it. He couldn't fight him. He couldn't. The speedster came at them again, he ripped Claire from his arms. He tried to grab her, pull her back to the safety of him. But he wasn't fast enough, she was thrown into the wall. He tried to get to her, hold her when she came back into the world. The speedster came at him again, throwing him into the wall as well, pushing Claire back just as she was reaching consciousness. He could here her skull crack, louder than he had ever heard it before. He pulled himself off of her and tried to look into her eyes, watch her come back to life. But something was wrong, she wasn't coming back, her scar wasn't healing. Her eyes were dead. _

_He grabbed the speedster and smashed him into the war._

_He was staring at the same green eyes, but they no longer recognised him. Lost in there own world, completely oblivious to the man in front of them. Claire was staring off into the distance, a smile on her lips. Sylar was trying to get her attention, but she couldn't hear him where she was. His stomach rolled every time he came to see her here, the smell of sickness and death in the air. He could see the scar still on her temple, running down her jaw, half her golden hair gone now, not able to grow over the broken tissue. He took her hand, tears falling on his cheeks and a cry escaped his lips. Claire just smiled and looked off into the distance._

Sylar ripped his arm from his future, breathing hard. Staring at himself in shock.

"What was that, why didn't she heal? She always heals?"

He could hear the pain in his own voice, the broken heartedness. He had fallen in love with her, and now he could never have her.

"I interrupted her healing midway through, we don't know why she won't heal. Why she won't wake up."

"Never?"

"Never."

He looked to his future, looked at the love and pain on his face, the desperation he felt for Claire.

"What do you need me to do?"

He disappeared from the cell. When he opened his eyes, he wasn't where he expected. He tried to teleport out of the grey room, but he felt the clamp down on his abilities, a feeling he normally instilled now that he had the Haitians' ability.

He heard a door opening, turning around his breath caught. Walking towards him was Claire, smiling at him, her eyes full of love and adoration.

"Sylar"

"Claire…how" he breathed.

"A friend brought me here?"

"Who?"

"You," she replied simply.

"What?"

"Your past came to me, showed me what happens."

"He shouldn't of."

"Yes you should of." She said kindly, gently caressing his face.

He reached to her and pulled her into his arms. Crushing her into him, he didn't want to let go.

"Sylar, you need to let me go." She whispered simply.

"No… no," he replied, he couldn't breathe.

"Sylar, I wouldn't trade my life with you, not for anything."

"Don't ask me to give you up, don't ask me to kill you."

"You didn't kill me."

"I did, I did."

"No you loved me, more than I could have imagined," she extracted herself from his arms and looked into his eyes. "Don't take _that _from me. Don't take away half of my life, my memories, my love. Don't I get a choice in this?"

"No, you don't loose me."

"But I do," she whispered. "I loose an entire lifetime."

"No," he replied again, "you shouldn't have anything to do with me, it was my fault, my ability. I can't let you be punished for my faults."

Then he kissed her for the last time and disappeared again.


End file.
